Suction sheet-pick-up mechanism



l 625,578 April 19, 1927. C. w. TREMPER SUCTION SHEET PICK-UP MECHANISMl April 19, 927 c. W. TREMPER sUcTIoN SHEET Prox-UP MEcHANIsM 5Sheets-SheetI 2 Filed Nov. 6. 1926 April 19, v19.27.

A 1,625,578 C. W. TREMPER SUCTION SHEET RICK-UP MECHANISM Filed Nov. 6,1926 c. w. TREMPER SUCTION SHEET PICK-UP MECHANISM April 19,1927.

- Filed Nov. 6. 1926 y 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 l 625,578 April 19, 1927. C. W'TREMPER y SUCTION SHEET PICK-UP MECHANISM Filed Nov. 6. 1926 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT ....oFFlcE.

eHARLEs w. TREMPEN, or NEW HAVEN, coNNE-zrrcur, AssIGNoR, BY MESNEAssIGNMEN'rs, r'ro THE 'rnEMrEnfsHrELDs coMrANY', or NEW HAVEN,CONNECTI- cUr.- A CORPORATION or coNNnc'rIcu'r.' Y

Application filed LNovember'A 6, 1936. Serial No. 146,689. I

My invention relates to an improved sheetpick-up mechanism, the ob]ectbeing to produce a simple, compact, convenient and reliable mechanism ofthe suction type, constructed with particular reference to reducinghthelateral displacement of the sheet being picked up to the minimum.

A further objectD of my inventionis to provide a mechanism which, inadditlon to picking up the sheet with. the minimum of .lat-eraldisplacement, will forward 1t.

Withthese ends in view, my invention consists in a sheet-pick-upmechanism having a plurality of suction pickup members and yieldingmeans for depressing such members into engagement with the sheet and forthereafter counteracting the lifting action of the suction, whereby thelifting and ranting of the sheet by suction is prevented.

My inventionfurther consists 1n asheetpick-up mechanism having aplurallty of suction pick-up members, yielding means for depressing suchmembers into engagement with the sheet and for thereafter counteractoing the lifting action of the suction, whereby the lifting and cantingof the sheet by suction is prevented, and means for bodily moving thesaid pick-u members in aplaneat a. right angle to their lifting action.

My invention furtherconsists in a `mechanism characterized'as above andhaving oertain other details of construction and combi.- nations ofparts as will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a broken view in rear elevation of my improved sheet-pick-upmechanism;

Fig. 2 is a view thereof in side elevation, with the parts in thepositions due to them when the suction-pick-ups are about to .de-

scend into engagement with the topm'ost sheet of paper in the pile";.-

v Fig. 3 isa corresponding view `with the parts in the positions due.tothem after the suction-pick-up' has engaged with the top` mostsheetofpaper inthe pile and-before the said sheet has been lifted;

Fig. 4 is a corresponding view showing the parts in the positions due tothem after ing movements of the mechanism;

depressing-finger 30 extending over it an lengaging with its upper faceand also cothe completion of thel lifting-and-for'ward-'- Fig. 5 is avertical sectional View on an enlarged scale on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;and p Fig. 6 is a` horizontal sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

In the machinewchosen for the illustration of my invention, 'I employtwo complemen-4 tary pick-up mechanisms or units mounted over a pile ofpaper in spaced relation to 60 the forward edges of the sheetscompos1ng\ the pile. Inasmuch as these mechanisms or units correspond toeach other, a description of oneof them will suiii'ce for both. Each ofthe said mechanisms o1' units comprises a conical, rubber suction-cu 10carried by the lower end of a hollow plston lllthrough the medium of ahead 12 sleeved over and secured to the same and receiving a. concentricscrew 13 which seats the upper edge of the cup in a counterbore 14. linthe said head, the said screw bein provided with an axial passage l5leading into the hollow piston 11 aforesaid. The said pistonreciprocates vertically in a hollow cylinder 16 connected at its upperend with a flexible tube 17 connected to any suitable vacuum pump, 'notshown. AThe cylinder itself hasbits lower portion sweated into a boss 18offsetting from a horizontally-movable forwarding carriage 19provided-with two rollers 2O and 21 working in a guide-slot 22 in amounting-plate 23 upon whichthe mechanism or unit now being described isinstalled, the roller 20 beingv mounted 'upon a stud 20*L fixed -in thesaid carriage 19. The said mounting late and` the mounting-plate of thecomp ementary mechanism or unit'are supported at their forward ends by ahorizontal tie-rod 24 andl at their upper rearends by a rock-shaft 25,

[the said tie-rod andk rock-shaft being arranged transversely to themachine.

The 'cylinder' 16 aforesaid is formed in its outer face with a verticalslot `26 (Fig. `5), whileY the boss 18 is formed with a correspondingslot 27 for the clearance of a horizontal stud 28 projecting outwardlyfrom the piston 11 and provided at its `,outer end. with a`1roller29co-acting withfa yieldin acting .with a lifting-finger` 31 extendingunder 1t 'and co-acting with`its under-face. The depresslng-finger 30aforesaid rocks mamme upon the projecting outer end of a stud 32 I Itisto be furtherunderstood that inthe rigidly mounted in the carriage 19and at its opposite end carrying the guide-roller 2l aforesaid.

For the purpose of yieldingly depressing the finger 30, I employ ahelical torsion spring 33 encircling the projectinvr end of the stud 32and having its inner enilinserted into the outer face of the finger andits outer end inserted into an adjusting-disk 34 formed in its outerface with two diameti'ic grooves 35 arranged at a i'iglit angle to eachotheiaiid receiving a locking-pin 36, whereby, by pushing theadjusting-disk inward against the tension of the said spring, the diskmay be rotated in one direction or the other for adjusting the tensionof the spring,

vafter which the disk has one or the other f engaged with the locking'its grooves pin 36. f

The lifting-finger 31 aforesaid forms a part of a bell-crank-lever 37hung upon a stud 38 in the rear end of the carriage 19 and provided witha depending arm 39 having its lower end forked to receive a stud 40 inthe lower end of an operating-arm 41 secured to the rock-shaft 25 by aset-screw 42, and partaking of the rocking movement thereof. The saidbell-cranlr-lever mounts a roller 43 co-acting with an arcuatelockingslot 44 formed in the`rear end of the mounting-plate 23 andintersecting the .rear end of the guide-slot 22 aforesaid. The saidroller 43 turns on a stud 45 projecting outwardly from a boss 46 formedupon the bell-cranklever. For the clearance ofthe said boss, as thelever 37 swings upon its stud 38, an arcuate clearance-slot 47 is'formed in the rear end of thecarriage 19.

The operating-arms 41 of the two separate mechanisms or units now beingdescribed are mounted in fixed relation upon the Arock- Shaft 25 andproperly spaced apart thereupon, as shown in Fig. l. For the rocking ofthis shaft, it is furnished with an upstan'ding arm 48 mountinga roller49 turng ing on a stud 50 and co-acting with an operating-cam 51 on ahorizontal cam-shaft 52. The roller 49 is maintained in contact with theperiphery of the cam 51 by means of a helical spring 53 attached at itsrear end to the upper end of the arm 48 and at its forward end to atie-rod 54.

In the operation of my improved mechanism, any suitable vacuum pumpdraws a current of air upward through the suctioncup 10, passage 15,hollow piston 11, hollow cylinder 16, and iiexibletube 17 of therespective suction pick-up mechanisms or units. Either vacuum caused bythe said pumpkin' the springs 33, or both, will be ad- Justedl so as toeffect a substantial counterbalaiice between the lifting power of thesuction-cups and the depressing power of the said yielding depressinglingers.

ently,

varying conditions of use, the top of the pile of sheets will sometimesbe level and sometimes not, the last-named condition being beyond thecontrol of the user of the inaehine.\ In describing the operation of myimproved sheet-pick-up mechanism, it will be assumed that thev top ofthe pile of sheets is not level, since my mechanism is constructed withparticular reference to taking care of such a contingency, which is offrequent occurrence.

Assuming that the mechanism is running, a cycle in the. operation of myimproved mechanism will be as follows:

Starting with the positions of the parts shown in Fig. 2, in the turningof the camshaft 52 the roller 49 will pass the contiguous high point ofthe cam, thus permitting the spring 53 to rock the shaft 25 and swingthe operating-arms 41 of the two units from front to rear, whereby thehellcrank-levei' 37 of each of the units will he swim(Y downward, withthe effectv of swinging tlie two lifting-lingers 31 downward to thelimit of their depressed positions and of moving the rollers 43 downwardinto the locking-slots 44. The movement of the lifting;iingers 31 to thelimit of their downward positions permits the springs 33 to act throughthe depressing-lingers 30 to move the pistons 1l downward, whereby the,suction-cups 10, carried by them, successively engage the topmost sheetof the pile. At, the instant the respective cups, acting' independmakecontact with the upper face of the upper sheet of the pile, the cupswill be sealed, with the result that the vacuum created within them andthere pistons will immediately counteract the downward thrust of thedepressing-fingers 30, whereby the downward movement of the pistons andcups will be instantly checked, in which position the cups will remainstationary.' The parts are `now in the positions in which they are shownin Fig. 3. The piston and cup of each mechanism, whatever their relativevertical positions within the range of their vertical movement, willtemporarily remain at rest in these positions, there being no recessionor upward movement of either cup, due to suction. The continued turningof the cam,

51 swings the arms 41 forward and exerts an effort to move thecarriages'lQ of the two mechanisms or units forward, but this movementis temporarily resisted by the engagement of their rollers 43 with theforward walls of the locking-slots 44, with the effect of rocking thebell-crank-levers 37 and raising the lifting-fingers 31, which willvsuccessively engage with the rollers 29 carried by the pistons of thetwo mechanisms, the interval between the lifting-action of the saidfingers for leveling the sheet being dependent upon the difference inthe level of the port-ions of the sheet engaged by the respectivesuction pick-up cups. From the moment both fingers are engaged withtheir respective rollers, they will act synchronously to bodily lift theleveled sheet to the limit of its upward movement. The continuedmovement of the two bell-crank-levers brings their rollers 43 intoalignment with'the rear ends of the guide-slots 22 inthe twomounting-plates 23. When this takes place, the carriages'of the twomechanisms will be simultaneously unlocked and free to be movedhorizontally forward at a right angle to the lifting action of the cupsby the continued forward swinging movement of the -arms 4l, with theeffect of forwarding the outer edge of the topmost.- sheet upon theconveyor-tapes 55 of any approved feed mechanism., herein shown ascomprising a. tape-roll 56, a take' up roll 57, and .a drop-roll 58. TheAparts are now in the positions shown in Flg. 4.

As the two carriages reach the limit of their ,forward movement, thesuction is temporarily shut olf for the release .of the paper by thesuction-cups 10. While the sheet isv being removed from the pile by the4said conveyor-tapes, the carriages are being moved rearward to thelimit of their rearward motion by the spring 53. Then, as soon as therollers 49 are brought into registration with the upper-ends of thelocking-slots 54, as shown in Fig. 2, the spring 53, acting through thearms 41, swings the bell-crank-levers downward, so as to re-enter thesaid rollerspinto the slots 54, whereby the lifting-fingers 31 swingdownward to permit the depressing-fingers 30 to move the pistons andhence the suction-cups down onto the next sheet, which has now becomethe top sheet. The cycle abovec described is now repeated, and so on.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that my iinprovedmechanism is `peculiarly adapted to feeding sheets of paper from a pilewhich does not present a true level surface to the concurrent action ofa plurality of suction-cups, since it oprovides for compensating forirregularities of level vby permitting. the`suction-cups to descendunequally to the extent required 'by the inequality of the level of thetop sheet. The instant one pick-up cup is engaged with the sheet, thatinstant its downward movementl is checked to remain stationary for aninterval sutiicient to permit the complementary cup .to becorrespondingly engaged and' checked and held stationary. This featureof lifting the sheet entirely independently of the suction meansemployed for ripping it, and so leveling it, prior to bodily lifting andforwardin it, reduces the displacement and eanting o? the sheet to theminimum.

I claim:

1. A sheet-pick-up mechanism, having a.I

plurality of suction pick-up members, and yielding means for depressmgsuch members into engagement with the sheet and forthereaftercounteracting the lifting action of the suction, whereby thelifting and canting of the sheet by suction is prevented.

2. A sheet-pick-up mechanism, having a plurality of suction pick-upmembers, and adjustable yielding means for depressing such members intoengagement with the sheet and for thereafter counteracting the liftingaction of thesuction, wherebyithc lifting and canting of the sheet bysuction is prevented. i

3. Sheet-pick-up mechanism, having al plurality of suction pick-upmembers, yielding means for depressing such members into engagement withthe sheet and for thereafter counteracting the lifting action of thesuction, whereby the lifting and canting of the sheet by suction isprevented, and means for bodily moving the said pick-up members in aplane at a right angle to their lifting action.

4. A sheet-pick-up mechanism, having a plurality of suction pick-upmembers, yielding means for depressing such members into engagement withthe sheet and for thereafter counter-acting the lifting action of thesuction, whereby the lifting and canting of the sheet by suction isprevented, and means for first leveling and then synchronously liftingthe said pick-'up members.

5. A sheet-pick-upfmechanism, having a plurality of suction pick-upmembers, yielding means for depressing such members into engagement withthe sheet and for thereafter counteracting the rlifting' action of thesuction, whereby the lifting and canting of the sheet by suction isprevented, means for first leveling and then synchronously lifting thesaid pick-up members, and means for bodily moving the pick-up members ina' plane at a right angle to their lifting action.

6. A sheet-pick-up mechanism, havin@ a plurality of suction pick-upmembers, yielding means for depressing such members into engagement withthe sheet and for thereafter counteracting the lifting action of thesuction, whereby the lifting and canting of the sheet by suction isprevented, means for first leveling and then synchronously lifting thesaid piek-up members, and means for bodily moving the said pick-upmembers and leveling and lifting members in a plane w41 lat a rightangle'to the lifting action of the pick-up members.

7. A sheet-pick-up mechanism, having a hprizontally-movable carriage,suction pickup members mounted thereupon, yielding means mounted uponthe said carriage for .depressing such pick-up members into engagementwith the sheet, and for thereafter counteracting the lifting action ofthe suction, whereby thelifting and eanting of the y said suctionpick-up members.

S. A sheet-pick-up mechanism, having a vhorizontally-movable carriage, aplurality of suction pick-up members mounted thereupon, yielding membersmounted upon the said carriage vfor depressing such pick-up members intoengagement with the sheet and for thereafter counteraoting the lifting'ace tion of the'suction, whereby the lifting and canting of the sheetby suction is prevented, lifting means mounted on the said carriage forfirst leveling and then synchronously lifting the pick-np members, and amember having the two-fold function of operating the said lifting meansand then moving the carriage and the parts carried thereby forward in aplane at a right angle to the action of the said pick-up members.

9. A sheet-piek-up mechanism, having a horizontally-movable' carriage, aplurality of suction pick-up members mounted thereupon, yieldingdepressing fingers mounted upon the said carriage for depressing suchmembers into engagement with the sheet and for thereafter counteractingthe lifting action of the suction, means mounted upon the carriage forfirst leveling and then synchonously lifting the said pick-up members,and

means for bodily moving the carriage and.

the parts mounted thereupon in a plane at a right anglo to the action ofthe said pick-up members.

10. A sheet-pick-up mechanism, having a horizontally-movable carriage, aplurality of suction pick-up members mounted thereupon, yieldingdepressing lingers mounted on the said carriage for depressing suchmembers into engagement with the sheet for thereafter counteracting thelifting action the suction, lifting-fingers for first leveling and thensynchronously lifting the piek-up mestre members, and means for bodilymoving the carriage and the parts carried thereby in a plane at a rightangle to the action of the Said pick-up members.

1l. A sheet-pick-up mechanism, having a mounting-plate, ahoriz(mtally-movable carriage installed thereon, a plurality of snetionpick-up members mounted in the said carriage, yielding means mounted inthe earriage for depressing such pick-up members into engagement withthe sheet vand 4for thereafter counteraeting the lifting action of thesuction, lifting means mounted in the carriage for first leveling andthen synchronously lifting the said lpickup members, means for bodilymoving the carriage in a, horizontal plane, and locking means" forlocking the carriage againstA horizontal movement during the liftingaction of the lifting-members, and automatically releas ing it toforward movement after their lifting action has been completed.

12. A sheet-pick-up mechanism, having a mounting-plate formed with aguide-slot and with a locking-slot leading ou'tl of the same, ahorizontally-movable carriage mounted upon the said mounting-plate andengaging the said guide-slot, suction pickup members mounted upon thesaid carriage, yielding means mounted upon the carriage for depressingsuch pick-up members into engagement with the Sheet and for thereaftercounteracting the lifting action of the suction, a lifting member forlifting the said pick-up member, and locking-means mounted upon the saidlifting member and co-aeting with the said guide and lockingslots in thesaid mounting-plate for restraining the said carriage against horizontalmovement during the lifting action of the lifting-member andautomatically releasing it to permit the horizontal movement of thecarriage when the lifting-member has completed its lifting action.

ln testimony whereof, I have signed this specication. CHARLES W.TREMPER.

